Imperfect Bloodlines
by Cascadenight
Summary: Emma is trying to find her place after losing it. Smithing is a passion, but so is traveling. Riley is curious about his heritage. Cameran Palace has the answers, but he's not allowed to dig deeper. Together, the two help mend the problems hidden beneath the surface and find secrets better left alone.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! This is a side project story that's been in my head for a while. It's different than my other stories, but it does contain an OC**. **I wanted to write about Riley finding out more about Sir Aaron, however, the events of the movie didn't happen so Lucario is in the painting because this isn't a rewrite of the movie. I say side project because I'm not entirely sure where the story/characters will take me, but that doesn't mean I won't be updating it. I like this plot, so I will work on this one as much as the others.**

 **Enjoy!**

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"Cameran Palace. A place where legends come to life, and where mysteries can be solved," Riley speaks in a soft voice while staring at the Palace poster on the wall at the train station.

Beside him a group of kids giggle before one of them states, "Why are you talking to yourself, Mister? You're weird!"

They run off afterwards, and Riley sighs to himself. "And people wonder why I'm quiet."

Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he turns on his heel and heads towards the station platform. The train for Cameran station should arrive soon, after that he'll have to walk through the large town to the Palace at the end of the bridge. He's been traveling for over ten hours so far, and he's ready to collapse on a hotel bed and sleep all day.

But he won't do that, not until he can get a lead on his goal, no matter how small.

A hanging light above the platform illuminates, alerting the passengers to the approaching train.

Finally, Riley thinks to himself with a smile as the metro comes to a stop and the doors open in front of him. He lets the crowd of people inside pool out before rushing in to find a spot on the cushioned seats. The ride should take about twenty minutes to the town from Silver Town's train station, plenty of time for a nap.

Pulling down on his blue hat, Riley closes his eyes and lets his chin hang to sleep.

 _ **OoOoOoO**_

Emma walks along the great bridge leading back into the town of Rota. The bridge is rather lengthy and not her favorite walk. She does love the view as Rota is a beautiful town located in northern Kanto. It's partially nestled within a large lake and at the end of a thick forest. It's a historical and cultural town, known for Cameran Palace and the ancient and beautiful Tree of Beginning.

Though her skinny jeans, white tank top, jean jacket, and converse shoes say otherwise. She had been at the Palace talking with the Ilene about redoing the shields and suits of armor within the castle. A tedious job, but well worth the money she'll be getting restoring those old hunks of metal. Standing next to such a regal person, even if she was only dressed in a regular sundress and beautiful gladiators, made Emma feel underdressed.

She remembers seeing the numbers on the paper, only an estimate of what the actual price would be, but still. It made her heart leap and suddenly she knew every single thing she'd be able to fix and redo with the money.

So, of course, she took the job.

Leaving the castle, the day seems brighter than when she walked in. The sun gleams behind white fluffy clouds, illuminating the windows of shops in the town. With big money coming her way, she has to resist stepping in and thinking about future purchases.

"All in good time, Emma. All in good time."

It's been awhile since she's left her shop and seen the town, she's almost tempted to go grocery shopping. Almost. The comforts of her bed are calling her home, begging her to come back, and that sounds much better than standing around in a store wondering what she's going to eat.

Then again, while she's up, she's got orders to fill and jewelry to make. Her shop's been booming. Her customers have been ordering lots of jewelry lately, must be love in the air.

She loves her job, but sometimes she just doesn't have the energy.

"Ugh, might as well."

At the end of the bridge, she continues on to head to the outdoor market held in the town strip. With the day being so bright and warm, the strip is bustling with people trying to get fresh fruit, vegetables, spices, and meat. Emma stares at the crowd, most of them towering above her given her height, and takes an empowering breath.

No way is she going to be pushed around, short or not. She's going to get food and eat tonight. With a quick adjustment of her short hair in its ponytail, and of her wide rimmed glasses, she marches in.

She is able to visit each shop and gather all the food she wants in a manageable time. Wading through the crowd, Emma knows the way back to her shop without having to search for the sign. Finding a place to set up shop came a surprise to Emma many months ago when she didn't think, she just bought it. Now, it's her home with half her heart. Close to the bakery and even closer to the clothing store, two of her worst enemies packed so near.

Surely, she'd spend the money well when she got it.

Turning the corner with bags in her hand, Emma jumps at the sight of a man standing in front of her shop examining her work. It always comes as a surprise when someone physically comes to see her.

He's tall and dressed in nice clothing, dark pants, boots and a dress shirt under a dark blue blazer. His hair, dark blue, lays spiked along his head and pressed on by his dark blue hat. She recognizes the theme and instantly worries that it's some obsessed creep who is hoping she'll recreate Sir Aaron's staff for them.

Whoever he is, if he wants one, he had better be ready to pay a hefty price.

With that in mind she saunters up to the shop, preparing to voice her practiced dialogue for customers and key in hand.

"Hello there, can I help you?" she greets the man with a warm smile while coming up to the door.

"Oh, hello," he speaks in a smooth and cool tone. "This is your shop, then?" He glances up at the sign, 'Pumping Iron', and grins in appreciation. "Clever name."

"Thank you." She finds herself giggling at her own genius.

She pushes open the door and sets the stopper in front of it so he can choose to come in if he pleases.

"Mawile, I'm back!" the black hair girl rounds the front counter.

Her building is bigger than most of the buildings on the street. The storefront holds her smaller works of art, small statues of pokemon or abstract shapes carved into different kinds of metals down to a small rack of jewelry she makes. There are a few chairs and a small table with a cheap coffee maker, some cups and additional ingredients lying on top. At the counter is a computer and some papers advertising her work as well as a few of the town's events.

Behind the counter lies the normal machinery and other things usually seen in a metal shop. On the right sits a table with a vent atop it cluttered with strange looking tools and containers that Riley can't recognize. A large table sits a little further back on the same side with more tools, metals, and jewels lay strewn about. The other side is a little less cluttered where a rolling cart sits and a singular room is.

"If you want you can come in, there's a book with my work in it over there," Emma pauses before heading to the back of the shop with her groceries. "I'll be back in a minute."

"All right," the man nods, following her finger to a portfolio lying on the table by the coffee.

Emma rushes back into her home, separated by just a door from the shop, and nearly runs into her pokemon. Setting the bags on the counter, she picks up her work bag and heads back with the sleepy little steel type right behind her.

When she gets back, the man is sitting at a chair, legs crossed like a businessman and forehead creased as he studies her work.

"Are you interested, or are you just being polite?" she can't help but question with a nervous laugh.

"Both," he grins at her. "I was hoping for a consultation on a mega accessory."

"Well, you've come to the right place," Emma beams, her brown eyes gleaming behind her glasses. "Follow me to my office, and we can get started." She turns on her heel then hastily turns back to face him. "I forgot! My name's Emma."

"Riley," he greets, keeping up his smile.

She returns it before heading back in the direction of her office just a few feet behind the counter. On the concrete floor is tape marking the safest, and cleanest, path to her office. Riley glances up to see windows lining the ceiling, letting in most of the light, and some glass decorations hanging from the rafters. The different colored glass casts those same colors in an array along the shop.

He remarks at how welcoming it is.

"Sorry for the clutter," Emma rushes to fix up her desk after swinging open the door and turning on a light.

Her office is a bit small with two tall shelves on either side of the taller windows taking up the back wall. He tries not to focus on the empty shelves just out of her reach while he takes a seat across from her wooden desk. Papers and folders piled on the desk are neatly pushed aside as Emma makes room for her pokemon to sit as well as her laptop.

"Okay," she takes a calming breath while digging for some paper and a pen. "You want something for a mega stone _and_ a key stone?"

"Yes," he answers and then grimaces. "Should I have brought them? I left them at the hotel today."

"That's all right, there's always time if you want something," she waves it off. "What kind of pokemon is it for?"

"A Lucario."

"Did you leave him at the hotel too? Or...?"

Riley's lips twitch as he fights a smile, he reaches for his belt to pull out the pokeball, "No, no. He's with me."

"Excellent, this will be quick," Emma gets a tape measure as the customary popping sound fills the room.

Mawile bristles at the appearance of a new pokemon and tilts her head at it, studying the fellow steel type with curiosity. Riley nods at his pokemon, letting him know that everything's fine and to behave. In return, Lucario bows his head before regarding Emma with suspicious eyes.

She works quick, wrapping the tape measure around his neck and midsection and jotting down the numbers on a legal pad. Lucario watches her work, a little put off by her constant handling of his body as she murmurs to herself. Riley holds back a laugh at his pokemon's discomfort as she progresses.

Finally, she steps back and grins. "Okay."

She sits at her desk and begins jotting down some numbers. Mega Stone holders are much more expensive than Keystones just because sometimes it's practically armor for the pokemon, it has to withstand battles and take damage while staying comfortable. Pokemon still have to battle with it on and wear it to the trainer's discretion.

At the end of her little number pile up, she explains the details of making the accessories. The amounts of metal needed to make them, how much time will go into it, and how the fitting will work. She gives him a tentative sheet with the final price on it and hopes he can come to a decision.

"That's better than I thought," he admits, his eyes widened just a fraction in surprise.

"That's a good sign," Emma laughs. "You can take that back to the hotel with you and think about it."

"I think I will," Riley grins at her and holds out his hand. "Thank you for your time."

"No problem," she shakes his hand firmly. "I'll see you around, Riley."

Once the two are out, Emma waits a few more seconds before closing the front door and closing down the shop. She's going to be working for the rest of the night and after five o'clock, no one comes in for orders. They can ring the bell anyway.

Heading back into her home section of the building, she's quick to put away her groceries and put together some dinner for herself. The amount of work to do will possibly take most of the night, but the thought of working on the beautiful armor at the Palace only fuels Emma's need to refine her skills.

"I just need to be inspired for the next few months, enough to do a fabulous job and then I can debate if I want to stay," she speaks into her shop. Above her, she's closed her windows, but the array of colors painting her shop purple, pink and more calm her. At her side, Mawile nuzzles into her jeans, giving her an understanding look. Emma bends over and pats her head. "Just a few months."

Digging out orders and some works in progress, Emma takes a seat at her work table and dives in.

Just a few more months of this and then she'll be free to decide, once again, what she wants to do with her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**We're still in the introductory part of this story. I'm not combining anything from the anime, just mostly a thing from my head that I wanted to get out. It will be a slow start, but it'll pick up! Enjoy!**

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Emma manages to wake up the next morning feeling loads better than she had in the past week. She blames it on the Palace for showing her the check she'd receive, and decides that she deserves to stay in bed for two hours longer than she should. Curled up at the end of the bed, Mawile is deep asleep, her breathing quiet against the bustle of people outside.

Sunlight filters in through Emma's window located right above her head.

She had bought the shop and the tiny apartment located right behind it overlooking one of the few small rivers that flows into the lake surrounding the palace a few streets over. Her bed sits above her kitchen on a loft with one wall slanting at an angle on the other half of her room. She has two small dressers to hold her clothes in, and her shoes in a fabric unit under her bed.

Beside her head are stairs that lead to the kitchen below. The apartment is compact, but she has everything she needs while using only a little space. She has a full fridge, range and oven, dishwasher, and two sinks with multiple cupboards in her kitchen.

Windows line many of the walls in her apartment, creating a bright atmosphere for her every morning to counteract her downtrodden attitude. Another day wasting away in this place, doing what she loves, of course, but seeing the world from only one point of view.

Turning to the side, Emma peeks between the curtains, gazing into the blurry haze of the world beyond her window. The day is bright and possibly warm from the looks of the blue sky dotted with white blotches. She twists back to the short table beside her bed to grab her glasses.

Yep, the day looks great.

"What do you think, Mawile? Should we stay in and have a movie night?" Emma nudges her pokemon with her foot. The little steel type grumbles, the jaws attached to the back of her head playfully nip at the blanket as she sits up. Emma grins as her pokemon glowers at her for ruining her peaceful sleep. "Is that a yes?"

Mawile croons gently and shakes her head, pointing her tiny claw towards the front shop with an expectant look.

Emma sighs, grumbling as she sits up and runs her fingers through her dark hair. "You're no fun. What if I don't want to work?"

The pokemon grunts in return before turning around and curling up in the blankets even more. This leaves Emma to slide her legs from under the blanket to over the side. She stares at her apartment with a small sigh before heaving herself up to head down the steps to the bathroom immediately on her right.

Her morning routine goes a little slow. She grabs an instant meal from the fridge and pops it into the microwave. She can't remember the last time she made a meal for herself, steaming fresh food just waiting to be guzzled... Nowadays, it's instant meals and store bought pokemon food.

A stack of her orders, made, sealed, and boxed away sit on her dining room table just behind the kitchen. It consists of a square table with two chairs and a small hanging fixture above the table. As she takes a seat next to the wall separating the two rooms, a window on her left sits open, showing her the backside of her street. The dusty, greasy backside of the street is covered with green plants growing from the edge of the flowing river below.

Eating away at her rubbery eggs, Emma stares at the list of addresses and customer names staring at her from a paper on the table.

She convinces herself how simple it'd be to walk a few blocks to send these out and then have only that one order from yesterday and Cameran's order to worry about. They gave her their own budget, and she knows she can work well within that limit and as for that order, to get the supplies would be easy enough.

Still, it seemed like a lot.

"Now you're just being ridiculous," she whispers to herself, scarfing down the rest of her food before heading back to her room to pick an outfit for the day.

Mawile watches her trainer as she tugs on a black and white checkered flannel above a black tank top and black, scuffed skinny jeans. Emma pulls out the shoe box and picks out some dark combat boots before heading back into the bathroom. With hair long enough for a good ponytail, but not long enough to an elaborate braid, she puts it up and pins back her bangs on top of her head.

Her thin lipped smile seems satisfied enough for this look before she's out of the bathroom and grabbing her bag. She promises herself to get the mailing done later that night.

Ilene wanted Emma to visit as often as she could to get a feel for the castle so that the armor would reflect that atmosphere. She understands the sentiment the blonde has for the castle. Her entire family history lies within its walls, embedded in this part of the region, and Emma has respect for that. She'll do the best work on the armor she can.

"Mawile, you ready?" Emma calls from the front door, her small frame barely filling the doorway.

A loud thump resonates within the apartment as the pokemon stumbles down the steps and to Emma's feet. Smiling and looking wide awake, Mawile marches past her trainer and beckons to be followed. Emma rolls her eyes, but smiles as her pokemon continues to act that way out into the street.

"Emma, good to see you!" a woman named Rose Hopkins calls from the bakery at the end of the street.

She's a stout old woman who has lines on her face from smiling so much. She knows every name in town, and Emma has yet to find someone who doesn't know who she is. The delicious smell of fresh baked bread and other goods wafts through the open door of the bakery as Emma reaches the corner. When she first moved in, Rose had given her a welcome basket filled with delicious treats that lasted barely a week. It was the best week of Emma's life.

"Hello, Mrs. Hopkins," Emma greets in a laid back manner, trying not to hear her growling stomach.

"Call me Rose," she speaks as though it's the first time she's told Emma this. It's not. With a flick of her hand, Rose gestures for the younger girl to enter the shop. "You're looking pale, why not a more filling breakfast?"

Rose always knows when someone has eaten a pathetic meal, and Emma hasn't questioned it.

"Can it be to-go? I have work to do in the castle," Emma gestures to her bag and the bridge just a few yards away.

"Of course! I'm so happy you decided to take on that project," Rose gleams, turning on her heel to head into the shop.

Emma loves going into the bakery; it's like entering a new world. The floors are checkered with light yellow and pink while the walls are a soft yellow. Shelves on the left and right walls are lined with different kinds of breads, tarts, rolls, and cookie packages, all of it made fresh everyday. The rest of the product leftover at the end of the night donated to nearby charities. A glass case at the back of the shop shows muffins, pies, cakes, and other goods made to order or to buy in bulk.

Rose ducks behind the counter and grabs a paper bag to fill with goods. As the old woman moves about the bakery, chattering about the time she first met Emma, the dark haired girl tries to remember the last time she spoke with Rose. How did she know she was debating on taking the project?

She had received an offer in an email and considered it for weeks before finally replying. It doesn't surprise her that the old woman coerced her into talking by using her baked goods to get it out. Her Razzberry shortbread cookies are to die for.

"There you are!" Rose pushes the bag into Emma's hands, waving off her attempt to pull out her wallet. "Must we go through this every time? Take it! I won't go bankrupt from a simple kindness!"

Emma mutters a thanks, her face burning at the gratitude pouring from her. She didn't know she needed someone like Rose until the old woman barged into her apartment.

Back outside, Emma continues her trek to the Palace, using all her strength to save the sweets until at least lunch time. She can sneak something from the open cafe in the Palace, something that won't give her cavities.

The stone bridge takes her over the sparkling lake and winds upward towards a wooden door that leads to a lower courtyard. From there, a path leads to an upper courtyard that leads to the stadium. The first entrance is marked with blue and dark green tapestries with a silhouette of the Tree of Beginning on them hanging on the sides. There are two guards standing outside, both with bored expressions on their faces. Emma feels for them as tourists take pictures at the entrance, posing in silly ways for their albums. She sneaks past them, careful to not interrupt the photos, and heads into the lower courtyard.

It's not much to see; white stone walls lifting upwards, potted plants on the edges of the courtyard, tall flag poles with hanging flags bearing the same symbol as the one outside. More people take pictures within this space as well. Emma sneaks past them too, over to the left to some stairs that lead to the upper courtyard.

This is where the beauty of the castle is first seen. In the middle of the upper courtyard is a small pond with a cascading fountain in the middle. White painted, concrete flat tops leak water starting from the smallest plate on top to a middle one bigger one to the biggest on the bottom. The upper courtyard has circular designs for shrubs with concrete pathways and gravel spots for the shrubs.

Lush boxwoods sit within the gravel spots with potted flowers sitting on either side of them. Pink, yellow, and white flowers glow brilliantly in the daylight, greeting the visitors as they walk amongst the maze.

Emma pulls out her camera to snap a few pictures of the courtyard and the flags hanging around it. Under a stone archway lies the entrance to the battle stadium in the far right side of the courtyard. Sometime in the summer, a festival celebrating the history of Cameran Palace happens, starting off with battles. Emma enjoys watching battles, but she does not like battling.

At the end of the courtyard is the main entrance into the castle. It's a tall wooden door carved with a beautiful, peeling design of the castle. The doors are wide open, meaning the castle is in business today with tours. Only a few rooms are open for tourists to venture through on guided tours, such as a few bed chambers, the library, the stadium, the dining hall, as well as the back garden. Emma had been given permission to enter those rooms and only a select few extras for her work.

The history within Cameran is vast, Emma doesn't have the time to learn about all of it, but she needs to know some of it to capture the right look for the armor. There are symbols emblazoned within the metal, mostly faded from centuries of being exposed to the elements. It leaves a blank enough slate for her to recreate it even better.

She saw the armor plates, tarnished and cracked, the carvings on the front of the body armor and helms too faded to recognize. Ilene was clear that she wanted to keep the historical factor of the armor. She wanted them shined and the designs brought through the ages, but she wanted to add just a little bit of flair on the Tree of Beginning design. Emma said she'd do her best to fulfill her wishes.

"Let's head to the library, Mawile," Emma urges her pokemon down a small hallway along the side of the castle.

Thick tapestries hang on the walls depicting the history of the castle, from when it was built to the town's growth into a flourishing center of trade and history. Emma passes a few people as she comes up to the entrance of the library. Even fewer are scouring the shelves, occasionally touching the ancient spines that aren't encased in glass and pulling them out to examine the old pages. The restored books are available to be looked at, but the older ones are preserved, and Emma suspects that there are even older ones hidden in the main office somewhere in the castle.

Emma heads deep into the sprawling library into a far corner, her eyes tracing over the shelves of books, paintings depicting Queen Rin and some other members of the castle. She finds herself in the corner of the library, sitting in an old leather chair with her sketchbook splayed over her lap and her supplies spread on the table beside her.

Mawile digs into the bag of sweets, pulling out a powdered donut before scampering off between the shelves to devour it.

"Don't make a mess!" she whispers at her pokemon.

Technically, the library is open for exploration. But it is heavily monitored by staff so that kids, teens, or adults don't take anything. The books left out to be looked at are copies of the originals kept somewhere else in the castle. It was an idea to make the tour more interactive by someone on staff. A strange idea, but it brought in a lot of money.

Emma gets straight to work sketching out the images in her mind of different aspects of the castle. The silence that follows is almost deafening. As she draws, she snacks on the treats and forgets about the world around her. Her mind focussing on the task at hand.

Somewhere down below, Riley scans the shelves, searching for anything that has to do with the people living in the castle. Mainly Rin. Anything with Rin in it will have Sir Aaron in it. The man had a close connection to the queen, and that's exactly who Riley wants to learn more about.

He's always had a fascination with history, especially his family history after his initial diggings when finding the Aura Guardian. It seems that aura has run deeper within his family history than he originally thought.

His parents had encouraged his practice of aura, going off to the far reaches of the world to understand his abilities and himself. They started him off, being pretty adept as well, until he got better than them and had to search for something more. He thirsted for knowledge on aura, he needed to know more.

That's what brought him here to Kanto.

Riley hears a few giggles coming from the end of the aisle on his left. A light blush dusts his cheek as the girls that had been following him when he first entered won't leave him alone. He tilts his head down and ducks into a few aisles over to get further away from them so that he can focus undisturbed. Their tour guide calls them over, freeing him of any more trouble.

He knows he'll find basic information stored within the books on the shelf. They're copies of the originals, so most of it had to be censored. But until he can get a meeting with Ilene, he's stuck looking through these. The admin staff has been in contact with him for sometime now. They confirmed his relation to Sir Aaron which led to their acceptance of his visit to learn about his ancestral past. However, it's at the point of the year where Ilene is busy planning restorations and planning the upcoming festival to honor his ancestor.

As much as he loves and respects culture, he'd wish she'd hurry and meet with him to see old documents on Aaron.

Beside him, Lucario sniffs the air before licking his lips. Riley regards his pokemon with curiosity. There should be no one else in the library, and yet...

"Hmm..." Riley glances up towards the second story of the library, off limits to tourists.

For some reason, the aura he senses is vaguely familiar. He must have talked to this person before. Thinking it's a staff member, he brushes it off, but then Lucario stalks off in their direction, leaving his trainer to grow interested.

The two head up the steps in a slow, quiet pace, not wanting to disturb the perfect silence within the library. Riley begins to smell something sweet as well as the faint sound of a pencil brushing across paper. Lucario leads the way before jerking to a stop between one of the shelves.

Riley comes up behind him and nearly leaps out of his skin as his pokemon snaps at a small pokemon in the shelves. He's quick to try and hush his pokemon, but Lucario sprints after the mystery pokemon.

"Lucario!" he calls in a low voice, though there's only two people in the library, he doesn't want to shout.

The pokemon ignores him and takes a hard right at the end of the row.

Riley rolls his eyes and jogs after the bipedal pokemon. He hasn't had to chase after him since he evolved, but every pokemon shows a little bit of their old selves sometime after they evolve. But why did it have to be in a castle? A historic castle he needs information from no less.

"Hey!" a female voice cries out, causing Riley to rush to a small opening to find the woman from yesterday, Emma, clutching her sketchbook to her chest with a bag in hand as Mawile and Lucario glare at each other.

Her dark brown eyes glance up to Riley's, her mouth opens to remark that they know each other, but it snaps shut when Mawile cries out.

"Don't you dare!" she points at her pokemon as she had started to charge Icy Wind. Emma glances up at Riley and gestures to his Lucario. "Looking for him?"

"Yes," he nods quick. "Sorry."

"It's okay, Mawile gets protective of her donuts," Emma smiles as the two pokemon continue to growl, though her pokemon has powder residue around her mouth.

Riley tries to settle his pokemon, but Lucario gives him a pleading look.

Emma snorts once more before opening the bag and holding out a sweet bun. "Here."

Lucario turns back to Emma, his red eyes regarding her for a moment before falling to the treat in her hand. With a smile, the pokemon holds out his paw, allowing Emma to plop the bun in it. He retreats to a different part of the library away from Mawile. She can hear him hum with delight after a bit.

She smiles in the direction of the pokemon before looking over at Riley. "Hope you don't mind... Do you want one?"

"Sure, thank you," he returns the smile, accepting the bun and taking a quick bite. His eyes widen at the burst of sticky-sweet goodness, a bigger smile forms on his lips.

"Good, right?" Emma chuckles, setting the bag on the ground for Mawile to paw through so that she can settle back into prime drawing position. "They're from the bakery downtown. Definitely worth hitting up before you leave."

"It's delicious," he comments, eating the rest of it.

"'Piece of Cake' is the name," Emma informs him. Then, upon seeing his sugary fingers, offers him a napkin. "You can have more. She gave me too much stuff. Sit down too, if you want."

"Thanks," he mutters, taking the spot across from her, wiping off his fingers before sitting back. "Are all the stores in this town creatively named?"

"Just the best ones."

"I'll keep that in mind," he chuckles, watching as she focuses on her drawing.

Her small frame fits well within the arms of the leather seat, her shoes have been kicked off, and she looks to be comfortable in the castle. He wonders how often she comes here, and if she knows anything that could help him. He also wonders what it is she's working on.

"Are you here on a tour?" Emma asks before he can get a word out.

"No," he answers.

"Oh."

It grows quiet and Riley shifts in his seat. Is it too late to explain? Will she care if he offers an explanation?

"May I ask what you're doing?" he questions before he can overthink the situation.

"I'm going to be fixing up the castle's armor, and I want to get a 'feel' for the castle before getting started. So, I'm sketching out different parts of the castle as a warm up before planning the design for the armor," she explains in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Does that mean you are here often?" he asks further, his blue eyes dropping to the ground to watch as Mawile cleans her face and settles at her trainer's shoes to fall asleep. The steel type looks to be in great health, and even content to be near her trainer. It's a sign that Emma is a good person, someone he could possibly trust.

"This is the first time I've been in here extensively," she replies, then quickly glances at him to see slight disappointment on his face. "Sorry, were you wanting to know something?"

"Yes, but you don't have to be sorry about it," he waves off her apology. "I'm just trying to look up some history, but not in these censored books."

"Ah, I see," she turns the page in her book and begins with broad strokes of her pencil. "Ilene is busy, huh?"

"Yes," he grimaces. "Is she always busy?"

"Yeah, my appointment was scheduled with her months ago, and I just met with her yesterday," Emma replies. She stops drawing to face him with a sudden look of realization. "You're not some obsessive historian. Are you actually related to Sir Aaron?"

Riley blinks and bites back a loud laugh, he settles for a cough and grins. "I am."

"Wow," she mutters in response, feeling bad for pegging him as some weirdo wanting to get a staff from her. "It's almost like meeting a celebrity."

"Why? I'm not him," he tilts his head at her.

"You're right, I guess it's like meeting anybody else in the world," she shrugs it off and then laughs when he pouts. "Just kidding. It's cool, you have a legacy in your family history. Does that mean you're an Aura Guardian too?"

"I am training to be one," he states with a hint of pride.

"Oh? How do you know when you're done?" she leans forward, her brown eyes widening with interest.

He sits back, a little put off by the sudden attention, and averts his gaze to the side. "I believe that is when I am satisfied with my own abilities and feel ready to possibly take on an apprentice."

"An apprentice?" she continues, twisting away to sort through her bag for some ink. "You want to be a teacher?"

"Yes, Sir Aaron was a mentor to those who had the ability to sense aura," he speaks in a professional manner. "Even before I knew this, I wanted to help others like me. But I still want to travel around and gather what knowledge I can. I won't be satisfied easily."

"I can see," she smiles at the determination in his voice. She remembers a time she felt the same as him. That's a shadow to her now. A murky memory of not so long ago. "Are you looking for something specific?"

"I'm just curious as to the history involving Aaron," Riley replies in a casual tone. "Surprisingly, my parents didn't have much on his story aside from the popular kids' story and an old family tree."

"So you came here... You can't find a book on him around here?" Emma gestures towards the vast library.

"Most of the books are picture books and historical reads on the castle itself, the others are stories from back in the day," he leans against the arm, looking bored. "So I must wait for Ilene to grant me permission to see the other books they have in storage."

"Oooh, good luck with that," Emma blows out air in a huff. "If I see anything, I'll let you know."

"Thanks," he grins, heaving himself onto his feet. "Mind if I grab some books and read them here?"

"Not at all."

Over the next few hours, Emma and Riley spend the day in silence together, her drawing and him reading the morning and afternoon away. She relaxes in his presence and manages to fill in many more pages than she planned to. Flowers, fountains, armors, and statues litter the pages of her sketchbook. All of them sketched or inked out. On her camera, she sorts through the photos of the armor and the ones on the flags around the entire castle.

Across from her, Riley had taken out a notebook and jotted down some notes within the last hour. Conversation is sparse between them, but she doesn't mind it for some reason. Usually, Emma feels better when sitting with someone. She likes knowing what they're thinking, but she seemed to not mind knowing Riley's exact thoughts. Maybe it's because she doesn't know him so well? Or maybe because she's focused on her work.

Either way, he's a nice presence to have around.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for waiting! I can't wait to get back on schedule with writing and school. It sounds crazy, but I really want summer to get here and the only way to do that is to write and work. Anyways, Emma is still new to you guys and don't worry, I have a chapter for you all to get to know her in. She's new and you gotta give her time. Riley's a little new too. I've been thinking of doing a Platinum fic, gameverse, of course. No OC's in that one, maybe a guest appearance or so. Moving on, hopefully, the next update will be sooner. Enjoy!**

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Piles and piles of bills and other responsibilities clutter Emma's small living room table. She swirls her tea in a lazy, dreamy manner as her dark eyes scan through each and every one of them. For the first time in a long time, she has responsibilities, but also for the first time in a long time, she can handle them. The fleeting fear she felt moments ago upon seeing the mail she left sitting out for a few days was just that, fleeting. She can pay these, and it'd still be early.

So, why is she not happy?

A glance over at Etna enlightens her to the answer. It's been so long, too long, since she's had the fierce spirit of a trainer in her. She and Etna used to take on the biggest and toughest of teams. The two of them, and maybe the others if they needed it. But Etna was her primary pokemon, her go-to when she needed to get through a battle quick and easy.

Nowadays, they laze around the house with no goal in sight and nothing to look forward to.

The thought makes Emma's chest ache for the old days. She can see them every time she closes her eyes. Etna, mega evolved and powerful, in all her glory.

Emma didn't always want to be a trainer. Battling took lots of effort and stamina if the fight was good enough and sometimes she didn't have enough patience for that. She just liked the thrill of battling. It brought people and pokemon closer together and, back then, Emma liked that. She craved getting to know people.

But that, too, brings an ache to her chest as specific memories resurface, and it takes all her energy to beat them away. Getting to know people brought on many more and that creates trouble.

Among the responsibilities is a letter, written on fake parchment paper and made to look like an inquiry from an old friend. Bile rises in Emma's throat at the sight of it and anger flares in her stomach. She pushes it across the table and returns to her tea.

Outside, the weather is on the bleak side with gray clouds rolling in with the intention of becoming a storm. The clock on the wall reads half past eleven, leaving Emma enough time to drink her tea then run down to the post office and finally ship out those orders.

With Etna asleep on the chair, Emma will have to call on her Medicham, Hanari, to help her out. Another glance at the clock and then down to her tea before she settles in and sips away while getting her financials in order.

 _ **OoOoOoO**_

"Oh, darn."

Emma heaves the sigh with heavy sarcasm as she realizes it's Sunday and the post office has closed early. Her Medicham lowers her dark eyes at her trainer, skeptical about her tone. She laughs in response, dry and humorless. "Sorry I made you walk all this way with the boxes."

Hanari cooes in response, shrugging her slender shoulders and holding up the orders in one hand. Emma rolls her eyes and calls her pokemon a show off before turning on her heel to head home. She doesn't make it far when she runs into someone.

"Sorry about that," a familiar voice steadies her smaller frame.

She glances up to see Riley and she snorts. "Are you following me or something?"

He frowns and then blushes at her implications. "Not at all. The castle is closed today, and it's a small town."

"Sure it is," she chuckles. "Are you looking for something to do?"

"I was just taking a walk to clear my head," he shoves his hands into the pocket of his slacks. As usual, he's dressed as if on his way to a dinner party or some other formal occasion. She feels severely under dressed in shorts, a knit sweater, and boots.

"Ah, I hope it's going well," she hums in response, only half listening to him. "If anything you can finally head to the bakery, or the book shop in town."

"Ah yes," he clears his throat and glances around the street.

Hanari nudges her trainer in the ribs, Emma glares at her until her pokemon gestures to Riley. She looks confused until she notices the trainer looking around a little too much. Then she giggles and reaches up to pat his shoulder. "You're lost too, huh? Thought it was a small town."

"A town with too many streets," he hides his face under his hat.

"Do you travel much?"

"Usually islands and mountains."

"And you can't navigate a town? I'll help you," she snorts. "But first, we have to head back to my place."

He gestures for her to go first, and she does so. He turns and follows her looking like a baby growlithe following its mother. Along the way, Emma informs Riley about different stores they pass and the streets they're on. She tells him how to get from place to place, as well as how to get back to his hotel.

Once at her apartment, Emma is quick to put the orders away, telling herself she'll get them sent first thing tomorrow morning before putting Hanari away and rejoining Riley outside the shop.

"Okay, where first?"

"How about that bakery?"

 _ **OoOoOoO**_

Emma didn't know what it was about Riley that made her relax, but it was comforting to say in the least. He didn't force her to talk about anything, instead, he ate his sweets in silence while appreciating the view of Cameran from inside the bakery. She got a piece of double chocolate cake, fresh baked only moments ago. He got a Pecha berry tart, made with fresh berries and powdered sugar.

"So, have you learned anything?" she breaks the silence after finishing up her cake.

"Nothing more since the last time we saw each other," he answers, looking down at the table. "I feel like it's hidden. This is where he lived, his home is now a museum. I imagine his personal belongings, whatever survived time, is stored somewhere."

"Still no meeting with her yet?"

"I talked with her advisor, and he said maybe in a month at the earliest."

"Oh, rough," she exhales. "What did you say?"

"Well, I came here for answers, and I'll stay for as long as I need," he shrugs his shoulders.

"You're really dedicated to this."

"It's part of my lineage, don't you have something worth looking into in your family?" he tilts his head at her. There's a light hearted smile on his face, crooked and inviting.

Emma can't help but grimace at his question and pull her hands into fists and off the top of the table. "No."

He doesn't flinch at her sudden sharp tone, instead he puckers his lips. "I didn't mean to make you angry. Do you want to talk about it?"

Her head jerks back and she smiles while bringing her brows together. "Wha-? You're the first person to ask that, and I've only known you for a about a day."

"I'm sure lots of people care about you."

"It's not about that... Anyways, where do you want to head out next?" she changes the subject. The smell of sweets is suddenly making her sick and irritated.

Riley goes along with it without a hitch. He is quick to ask about a book store and Emma is eager enough to escort him there fast. They exit the bakery without Mrs. Hopkins catching a whiff of her in the shop. Then they'd never leave.

"Mr. Nagano is a quiet old man," Emma explains to her companion as the two take rigid steps down the street. "Your hotel is down that way," she points across the street past the buildings on the other side. "You can either take this street we're on to the end, make a left and on Third Street a right. Or you can go all the way around to that same street to the end.

"I see," he logs the information into his memory.

"Nagano likes things to be relaxed in his store. He has some family portraits hanging on walls, even invites people to bring their photos to hang around the shop if they'd like. It's a real comfortable place to be if you like to be in public," she explains as they cross the street to the shop called The Open Book.

It's a cute shop with the front doors painted to look like the pages of a book with the title printed out and the times of operation. Riley smirks at the name and pushes his way inside with his head held level and his eyes prepared to scour the place for clues. As he enters he finds that it really is comfortable.

The set up is almost like a living room. There's a long table sitting in front of the many rows of books filling up the right side of the store. Since the shop is part of a strip, it's not too long but it does have a second story. To the left, past the checkout desk, is the spiral staircase. It is also covered in books and disappears to another floor.

Golden light shines down from the ceiling and soft music plays just beyond his hearing. The black floors and spots of cream carpet remind him of his cottage in the mountains of Sinnoh, back home.

Just as Emma said, there are also pictures everywhere. Emma disappears between some shelves, leaving Riley to peer closer at the photo frames. A few are black and white, capturing a completely different time and place than Cameran. Others are in color and getting closer to this part of his life.

Nagano goes from being a baby to a toddler to a teen to an adult within a few rounds of the shop. Riley often stumbles across a random photo of a random family, friends, or lovers lying around. It brings a smile to his face. This is what he wanted to get out of his visit here. An experience like no other. To see the memories of other people placed somewhere anyone could see.

At this point he has lost interest in finding out about Aaron, not that he would be able to find something in this shop as it sells more modern books rather than mysterious books that have the answers to the past, and has decided to wander around. There are a few other people on the first floor, all of them focused on the books in hand, and a few more upstairs.

But it's quiet, and the hum of the auras in the shop makes his shine just a bit more.

He moves between book shelves, his eyes glazing over the titles laid out before him. His searching brings him to Emma, and he watches her for a moment.

Surely, something has twisted their fates together so much, and he can't help but feel a little excited about it. She is a fascinating woman. Mysterious, quiet, a loner. Just like himself. But she seems to have more about her, and he wouldn't mind figuring it out.

Her black bangs are pinned back, allowing more of her forehead to be seen and giving her an open looking face. At the moment, her brows are furrowed as she reads the back of a thick book. Her thin lips are puckered and she looks ready to puff her cheeks out. Black, wide frame glasses sit on her nose. He likes her style. Casual, but not lazy.

He shakes himself out of his stupor and approaches her. Her dark brown eyes tear away from the book to regard him with calculating curiosity. Something jabs at him in his stomach.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" her voice comes out gentle, as if she were a tour guide.

"Are you okay with showing me around?" he questions.

"Not really, but I figure I should be outside today. Have to get it over with," she shrugs in reply, placing the book amongst the others on the shelf.

"Aww, I was hoping to entertain you so much better than this," he jokes with a half smile.

"I'm a tough crowd of one."

"I suppose so. Do you have a favorite shop around here?" At this, there's a spark in her eyes and he feels it ripple in her aura. It brings a smile to his own face, but the feelings are glazed over and distant in her eyes. "I'm going to take that as a yes."

"I do," she states matter of factly. "Follow me."

They exit the quaint book shop and head towards her shop at the end of the street. At first, Riley assumes she's being funny and is taking back to her own store until she takes a right. The two walk in comfortable silence as people pass them by. Some calling out to Emma with a friendly wave, others whispering about them while the rest go about their day. She doesn't seem perturbed by any of it. She waves back, offering a small smile or a simple 'hey' as they walk by. He notices that she doesn't seem too enthused by others and wonders if she's feeling well.

The question goes away when he sees her face brighten at the shop they approach at the end of the street.

"The flower shop?" he tilts his head, reading the sign 'Smell the Roses' on the window and trying not to groan at the name. "Another clever name?"

"Like I said, the best shops in this place have the cleverest names," she smiles at him before leading the way inside.

Underneath the pinstriped awning sits a tiered table cluttered with beautiful flowers in full bloom. They carefully walk past the flowers, careful not to tip over the bucket overflowing with roses at the entrance. A speaker above the door emits a whimsical noise at their entrance.

"Welcome!"

Along with the voiced greeting, Riley is assaulted by the many aromas of flowers floating around the shop. It's laid out like a greenhouse, rows of plants sit in square pots on top of long tables. Along the walls sit some handmade pots and vases of various sizes and colors. A large sign marks the start of a special sale as well as advertises the beginning of a flower arranging class held in the mornings.

Riley follows Emma as she makes her way towards the registers. Above him, a few bug types climb upon the metal rafters. The ceiling, made of glass, is sparkling clean and lets in copious amounts of light. It brightens up the shop, making the flowers look bright and healthy.

"Sheila, Sandra!" Emma calls to the back.

"Emma!" two voices sound.

The first figure is that of a Roserade that greets her with a cry of delight. Behind the Roserade, comes a woman with dark, tight curls and smooth olive toned skin. Her eyes are bright green and there are a splash of dark freckles on her face. Her smile is toothy and bubbly as she approaches the two.

"Hi, Sheila," Emma greets in a meek tone, her chin drooping towards her chest a bit.

"Good to see you," Sheila greets her with wink. Her green eyes turn up towards Riley. "Who's this?"

"This is Riley, we've run into each other more than a few times, so I'm showing him around."

"Nice to meet you, Riley. Call me Sheila," the woman gives his hand a firm shake before gesturing towards the back room. "The other one is Sandra and the Roserade over there is Lily." Riley twists his head around to see Roserade watering the plants while conversing with the other pokemon. "She's friendly, and will probably hand you a flower before you leave."

"That's cute," he comments with a chuckle.

"Okay, I'm here!" the 'other one' comes shuffling out of the back. Riley starts at her appearance, almost identical to Sheila except for a minor few details. Her nose is longer, and she has less freckles than her sister. Also her hair is much longer, reaching her mid back. The twins giggle at his reaction and Sandra reaches for his hand. "I'm the other one, Sandra. What brings you to us today, Em?"

"He wanted to know my favorite store, so I brought him here," she replies with a half hearted shrug. "But it's not because I like you guys or anything."

"Uh, huh sure," Sheila nods. "It's not like you're our favorite customer or anything."

"I agree, she hasn't been here in months," Sandra comments, grabbing a bucket and heading towards the front.

"Sorry!" Emma calls after her, not looking too sorry about it.  
"She just likes to give you crap," Sheila waves off the apology. She rounds the counter and stands in front of the two. "So, Riley, do you like flowers?"

"I do, but I don't know much about them," he grimaces.

"Do you have a favorite?"

"As cliche as it is, I do like roses among other ones."

Emma glances up to see Riley a bit pink in the face and covers a laugh with a cough. He looks so out of place admitting something so normal, though maybe it's the first time someone's ever thought to ask him about something so simple as a favorite flower. She can't remember the last time she's sat down with someone where the questions didn't involve a complicated answer.

"That's perfectly fine. What color?" Sheila beckons for them to follow her past the registers to a door that says employees only. She pushes past it and ushers them into a humid room with rows and rows of flowers.

"Yellow," he speaks, glancing around the place as if they've entered a jungle. Plants hang from the ceiling and drag on the flower near the walls. Along the tables sit different kinds of plants, some flowering and some not. There's another pokemon back here, a Cherrim, moving from pot to pot inspecting the plants.

"Interesting," she comments glancing around the room before turning back to Emma. "Here you go, Em."

"Thanks."

Sheila heads out of the room, leaving the two to stand in the greenhouse.

"You come here a lot?" Riley turns to his dark haired companion to find her walking towards the other end.

"Sometimes," she beckons for him to follow. "When I get into an art slump."

He follows her to a short metal table with a cute umbrella sticking out of the middle. There are two chairs on either side, and on top, there's a tall glass as well as a few magazines. Emma takes a seat at one chair and gestures for him to take a seat at the other. He does so, and finds himself oddly relaxed.

"The smell of the flowers, the pokemon, and the heat. For some reason, it really relaxes me," she admits. "I did an oil painting of their flowers for them and they were so grateful they told me they would do anything to repay me. I didn't want anything but to sit amongst the flowers."

"You really like flowers then, huh?" he comments. At her nod, he prods further. "What kind is your favorite?"

She winces, trying to hide her smile and answers. "Peony. When I was little I always wanted a dress that was like the petals of a peony, wispy with hundreds of layers."

"So, you wanted to be a princess?"

"You don't have to be a princess to wear a large dress."

"That's true," he concedes with a defeated grin.

"What about you?"Emma leans on the table, her head on her hand.

"Did I want to be a princess?" he raises a brow.

She rolls her eyes with a smile. "Did you?"

"No. I wanted to be an Aura Guardian. It's kind of like a knight," he answers with a fond smile at the memory of his childhood.

"How heroic."

It falls silent for a few moments after that. Sheila drifts back in to give them water with Cherrim at her feet dancing around the plants. Now that they're sitting and have water, Riley finds the heat and humidity a little more bearable. It brings him back to Sinnoh as the heat can reach extreme temperatures in some instances there.

"I like to pretend I'm sweating the stress away," Emma suddenly speaks in the silence. She takes a long sip of water, unsure why she's talking, but she felt like filling the silence. "Like I'll be a new person if I spend enough time around these flowers."

"Why do you want to be a new person?" Riley questions, finding interest in this conversation.

She glances at him and he watches his window to know more close. She purses her lips. "No big reason. Anyways, we've been here long enough, I can take you back to your hotel if you need. Or you can lead the way just to ensure you were paying attention."

He chuckles, standing up, taking off his hat and running his hands through his dark hair. A few beads of sweat have gathered on his forehead, he wipes those away too before collecting their glasses and heading towards the front.

"Gone so fast?" Sandra comments, taking their glasses behind the register.

"Yeah, I gotta test him on the layout of the town," Emma grins. "Where's Sheila?"

"Right here."

Both of them turn to see Sheila and Roserade grasping two small sized vases. Spewing from the vases are their favorite flowers. Vibrant yellow roses and pastel peonies clustered together with various smaller plants to add some flair. Dark ribbons are tied around the neck of each vase, lacing up into a large elegant bow.

"Aw, thanks," Emma tries to put emotion into her words, but it comes out stiff. "I appreciate it."

"No problem, you're welcome here at any time!"

Riley takes his with a heartwarming thanks. The two duck out of the store and into the light of late afternoon in Rota. Emma stretches out her legs and her neck, her body tensing up in the cooler air. She turns to Riley gesturing for him to show her the way.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could do something to repay you?" he shifts on his feet.

"Uh, sure?" her voice rises, wondering where this is going.

"Not in that way. I was hoping to make you food, you've been a great help when you didn't have to be," he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Dinner?" she tilts her head. She's not really that hungry, but then again, she should probably eat. It's not like Riley's creepy, either. He's pretty cool in her book. he's listened to her and has stuck around all day. Hell, he wants to make dinner for her at her place, who is she to decline? At least her mother taught her something. "Sure."

Riley seems surprised at her answer, but he's quick to nod. "Great. I'll take us to your shop then."

"Only because it's easier."

Emma follows him, a faint smile on her face as he leads the way to her shop. He finds the place with ease and allows her to lead the way inside. When the shop's closed, it's the ghost of what it is during the day. Her supplies sit and hang from the walls as though she were preparing for a horror movie. The lighting is dim with the sun being gone from the sky. She walks him past the counter to the door that leads to her apartment on the other side.

Riley removes his shoes, and hangs his hat and jacket on the hooks on the wall beside Emma's coats. He glances around in appreciation of her modest home. There's a small space at the entrance, enough to fit their things before he comes right up to a small dining room table. There are a few papers scatter across the top of it and, other than that, he senses that it does not get used often.

To the right is a larger space, the living room. On the far wall, to the right, sits a TV monitor, a small coffee table, and a cream colored couch. A large window allows in a lot of light, the view is beautiful and simple: the many trees populating Rota, a nearby park and the castle in the distance. A calming view.

"My place is a little cramped," Emma comments from behind him.

He turns to her with an appreciative smile. "I have a place just like this back home. Don't worry."

She smiles at his comforting words and gestures for him to follow her to the kitchen.

Cramped is correct, but his kitchen is only a bit more spacious. In its own block sits the oven, stovetop, fridge and sink in her place. Despite the compact design, he doesn't have to duck under the loft above his head. There's less elbow room, but enough height to work in this space.

"It may be small, but you can release your pokemon," she urges in the silence, pulling her pokeballs from her bag.

He nods and tosses two pokeballs into the air, out come Lucario and the other, an Absol. Their pokemon stretch out and investigate each other. The trainers watch for a tense moment as Lucario and Mawile sniff at each other. It seems they remember their little squabble and Emma knows Etna holds grudges, but it seems that the Mawile has forgiven the other pokemon. The two race over to relax on the comfy couch as Emma turns to Riley.

"Let me give you a tour of the kitchen."

Riley catches on to the location of her utensils quickly and, once locating food that isn't instant, scoots her out of the kitchen. Emma examines Lucario for his mega stone piece and brings out her unfinished work for Riley to see. The pokemon looks more comfortable with her prodding and even hums when she pets his head. She draws down some rough plans before her stomach growls. For the first time in months, the aromas emanating from Emma's kitchen are fresh and mouthwatering.

"Wow, it smells delicious," she breathes, floating over from the dining room.

"Thank you," Riley beams stirring away at the veggies on the pan. "I've had lots of practice."

She watches in awe as her kitchen, one that has only produced instant meals and so few homemade meals, pulls up a meal of veggies, meat and garlic pasta. As he shuts off the appliances, Emma gets to feeding their pokemon. Their bowls are set out in the living room as Riley sets the table. Most of the food she doesn't remember ever buying, like the meat and the wine he found in a cabinet. Maybe Rose dropped it off...

Sitting down at the table, Emma's stomach growls and she has to contain herself from scarfing down the food as if she's never eaten before. Her taste buds awaken to the spices, the meat is savory, the veggies are crunchy enough, and the noodles are perfect. She can't remember the last time she's eaten a meal so fine.

Riley welcomes her praise and keeps her entertained by telling her stories of Sinnoh and his adventures there. She is glad for the distraction of the story and no questions about herself. She feels she revealed a bit much about herself that she doesn't want to elaborate on. It felt nice to say some things, but at the same time, it felt too revealing. He must not have thought so, as he's still hanging around her. A comforting thought.

After doing the dishes, Riley thanks her again and receives thanks in return before assuring Emma that he will for sure be able to find his way back to the hotel. She closes the door feeling full and energetic. Enough so to get some work done.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! That was a longer break than I wanted it to be, a lot happened and I was just not feeling writing. But I will be making a come back, a slow come back. School is getting busy and I need to focus hard on that, so, please, bear with me. Anyways, lets see if we can get this story going and the other ones too.**

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Emma has started to finally feel comfortable with the pictures she's taken of the armor to start, officially, drawing out design ideas. Ilene had asked to see at least two design ideas before she got started. The armor should be updated with the time but she wants there to be a piece of history along with it. Which shouldn't be hard in Emma's opinion.

The castle is mysterious, mystical and beautiful. Its history demands respect, not just with Sir Aaron, but with it being ruled by a prominent female line. The Queens of Cameran were strong women that put their kingdom before themselves. They encourage the youth of today to hold their heads high and be strong.

When people come to see the castle, Emma wants them to admire the armor and the history all in one. Everything else in the castle has been restored and it all looks flawless in the tours, she wants her work to be viewed as just the same. She hasn't been here as long as some of the other shops that put in their work, but she won't let that stop her.

The history of Cameron has its center of trade, it's moneymaker's. The castle is half of it, Rota has thrived because of the castle. Tourists from all over venture to Kanto to see the castle, read the history books and stand in the place people like Queen Rin or Sir Aaron once stood. It brings in ton of revenue and that's what Emma is counting on.

The other side of the trade is the Tree of Beginning. That's the most valued attraction here. All of Emma's metal work featuring it sell the most in her shop. No one's allowed close to the tree, but there is a lookout point. It's a rocky cliff, located in the forest, it stands tall enough to allow on looker's perfect view of the tree.

For the first few weeks Emma was obsessed with the tree. Half of her sketch book is full of sketches, paintings and other doodles of the formation. It kept her distracted for the longest time. She's barely lived here a full year and yet it feels like it's been several since she stumbled into this place.

Sipping at her tea, Emma recalls the day she came to Cameran. She was a mess back then, broken as she called herself. All of her belongings fit into her old backpack, a change of clothes, a sketchbook with some pencils and pokeballs. She had just spent all of her money on the shop and the apartment as well as supplies. For the first few months, she was living paycheck to paycheck, she did extra jobs on the side to get food and other necessities. Back then, she didn't each much, though, so it was mostly pokemon food and other stuff for them.

Then she met Rose Hopkins.

Emma stifles a laugh at the memory of meeting such a sweet woman. It was a rainy day, so cliche, and Emma was feeling lost on that day. She had just finished trimming flowers with the twins at the flower shop, a job she didn't appreciate as much as she does now. At the time, their energy was annoying and she only wanted to leave that place. It was a count down until she received the rest of the money on a large order for a family out in Hoenn.

On the way back to her shop, she had stumbled on the street and nearly fell into a puddle. Nearly being the key that makes Emma's heart pound.

Mrs. Hopkins had reached out and caught her by the elbow as she pitched forward. she was so worried about Emma she ushered the girl in through the back of the bakery and sat her down at a table. She fed Emma and gave her food for later. She hadn't even fallen on the ground, but this woman was taking care of her, asking her if she was alright and welcoming her to the street. For the first time in months, someone had reached out to her, literally and figuratively. It was as if time slowed to a stop and Emma realized that she was living in a dream. Sure, the twins cared, but in their own way. They gave her free flower arrangements to bring home and they offered her advice, but they hadn't really tried.

Mrs. Hopkins managed to slow Emma down enough to break through her haze simply by talking about her own life and offering Emma the chance to explain her own situation. Not the whole thing, of course, but just enough.

That was months ago and now things have gotten better. She has more money and a place to call home. She's not sure if she's still broken, but that's not important. She is safe and doing something else she loves.

"Agni!" Emma calls out from her couch. She sets her tea on the small coffee table and picks up her art supplies to settle them on her legs. "Come cuddle!"

Her living room offers some light from the afternoon sky and a view of the town. On days like these, she ops to have her windows open to air out the place. Leaving her cold and in need of some heat. Mawile and Bisharp, her metal types, are not good for cuddling and Medicham doesn't like much physical contact. Charmeleon, on the other hand, loves to cuddle. As charmeleon have good control, her tail does not need to be covered for the safety of her home. The flame is much like a Ponyta flame. When the pokemon is relaxed or well trained, their tails are harmless. But the second they sense danger it grows hot and can easily set fire to anything in close proximity.

"Char!" the pokemon comes running in from the kitchen.

Emma laughs as the pokemon plops down on her right and snuggles up to her, pushing her nose against the blanket wrapped around her trainer. She adjusts her books, pens and pencils to lay just right so Agni has room to lay his head on her shoulder without disrupting her work. His body exerts the perfect amount of warmth to keep her warm as he falls asleep.

Picking up her pencil, Emma leans in on her paper, ready to get to work when her pokegear jingles on the table. All her inspiration and confidence flutters at the sound and wheezes out of her. Raising her head, she sees a number flash across the top and then a name, 'Luke'.

She lets out a dejected sigh and picks up the gear. "What?"

"Hello? I thought you were fighting with Mom and Dad?" he responds in a whiny tone.

Emma rolls her eyes, her brothers never whine. "I assumed you and Mike were on their side."

"For some things, yeah, but they always take stuff too far," he responds, his voice normal, even gentle as he regards her. "I just want to know if everything's okay. The last time we talked, which was months ago mind you, you didn't sound so good. Also, Mom says you were homeless?"

"Ugh, no! I'm not homeless," she pinches the bridge of her nose. Agni squirms next to her and sits up. "Sorry, Agni... I'm fine, Luke. I have an apartment, I own my own business and, speaking of, I'm working right now."

"Sis, please. Mike and I miss you, don't shut us out," he pleads with her.

"I'm not shutting you out, I'm taking time for myself," she returns with an even voice. Hearing her older brother in pain hurts, she never wanted to get them caught up in the mess with their parents. They were collateral damage in the end. "This is what they wanted. Me to really find myself and that's what I'm doing. I like it here."

"Rota? I never would have thought," Luke chuckles into the phone.

Emma frowns. "Why? Because it's so sunny and pretty! I was thirteen!"

"Yeah, but it felt like you were always going to be that emo teenager," he laughs in response.

Things grow quiet between the two. Emma bites her lip to keep her smile from growing any larger. In truth, she loves her siblings more than anything. They fought so often when she was younger, but it was all in good fun. The two of them looked out of her and in return she tried to do the same. When things fell through with her parents, they had helped her get started in Rota. They were the last bit of money that helped secure her place here and she owes everything to them. But she also hates that about it all. This wasn't just her doing, this was theirs and that's why she still feels stuck with her past. She can never let it go as long as she owes her brothers for getting her started.

"Listen, you don't have to forgive them or even come see them. You can just keep Luke and I in your life, please."

Her smile trembles and she has to bite her lip even harder to keep her emotions in check. For the longest time, her parents were her saviours, they did everything for her... Until they didn't. They pulled the rug out from underneath her for something she couldn't help and decided that it was her own damn fault. She hated them for it.

"I know. I just need time to settle, so many things happened at once and I need time to relax," she responds after a long pause. "Remember when Michael went off to that University in Unova? He was gone for months and would rarely call us to let us know he was doing well, let alone alive. It seemed like he would never come back and then he did. He had gotten a job at Silph as one of the leaders in his science-y department or whatever. It was fantastic."

"I do remember that, Mom thought he would fail..."

"Exactly. That's what I'm doing. I'm in Rota, refining the skills I know, finding myself so that when I can finally come down there, you all can see that I'm fine," she explains in a hopeful tone. "I'm taking time for myself, Luke. Don't call me asking me to come back because I will come back when I want to. I'll call when I'm ready."

There's a long pause. Long enough to make Emma think that he hung up on her, a heartbreaking thought. But then Luke takes a few deep breaths on the other side and the relief that overcomes her is warm and relaxing. He held on, he stayed on the line and didn't cut her off half way through. He believes in her.

"Okay, sis. But if anything happens, please call. Remember, Michael got sent to the hospital and we only found out because Mom found the bill," he laughs at the memory.

"Don't worry, you guys will be the first to know," she exhales and smiles. "Thanks for calling and understanding."

"Duh, not everyone in your life is out to get you."

"Sometimes, that's hard to believe."

"I'm sure there's at least one person who cares about you in Rota, Em. It's going to be alright."

"...Right. Someday."

"Yes, someday. Until then, talk to you later."

"Later."

One click and the warmth dies down in Emma's chest. She settles back against Agni and feels a sort of emptiness take over. She tightens her hands into fists, she can't let the motivation to do work escape her now. Not after weeks of being assigned the job, Ilene wants to see designs and she'll never get the publicity.

She can't let her family cloud this important part of her life.

And yet, she can't stop hearing the argument with her parents in her head. It fills her with immense rage and grief. Things had been fine until they intervened.

"Char," Agni murmurs at his trainer, nuzzling his head into her cheek.

Emma smiles at her pokemon, petting his scaly head. "I'll try for five minutes and we'll see where it goes."

He nods in response and settles back into his former position, leaning against her body as she picks up a pencil. Well within the five minutes, Emma begins to lose herself in her work. She has reference photos from books, her camera and ones provided for her by the staff of the castle. All of it is splayed across the coffee table ready for her to use. She's done this countless times before and she loves it. Drinking tea and drawing. What more could she ask for?

Peace.

"Ugh, I can't do this."

Agni yawns, releasing a small wave of heat from his mouth, and watches as Emma gathers a smaller sketchbook, her pencil case and a few photos. Unable to handle her own home, she slips on her shoes, swings on her backpack and, with Agni behind her, the two set out on the town.

Rota is known for its beautiful weather and, honestly, Emma didn't think she'd like seeing the sun so much. The first few weeks were hell, this place was, still is, too happy-go-lucky for her. There's rarely any problems, no public skirmishes and for a while she thought they had no police force. But, of course, not every place is perfect and behind it's beauty lies a town that's struggling in the off season to stay alive. Two more business have closed down just before tourists started showing up. A small number, but a complete new set of stores have just opened this year including hers. The bakery, book shop and flower shop are the only places that have been here for generations. Even the grocery store has seen numerous remodelings and owners. No one likes to talk about their struggles and most pretend it's not really happening.

Emma is one of the lucky ones. Her business has started to climb since the start of tourist season. She's not good with math, but she supposes she'd be able to make it at least another two years after this one if she really wants to. And that's after any debts are paid and after that she'd still have money left to travel. Maybe not in the same conditions as she's dreamed off, but at least she'll be traveling.

She and Agni take a right and head towards a large park near the castle's bridge. It's a wide space lined with tall trees all around. Several streams run through and around it leading towards the lake surrounding the castle. Children and pokemon play there at all times of the day and there's even a shrine to the mythical pokemon Mew deep in the park, on the edge of the thick forest around it.

It's a beautiful shrine that takes goers to a peaceful place. Crossing over the small bridge located right outside its little ring brings silence and tranquility. The trees provide the area with enough cover to let light pass through the leaves but it's in such a way that makes the atmosphere magical and lighthearted.

There's a statue of Mew in the sanctuary and a place for offerings and prayers. For someone not involved in religion, Emma likes to visit and pray in her own unofficial way. She doesn't pray for anything or anyone in particular, it's more like a confession. Get things off her chest without any kind of response in general.

On her way there, Emma feels her bubble of anxiety lessen just a smidgen. She finds a secluded park bench and sets up shop. Agni watches his trainer work with patience and then smiles once she is settled down. He takes his spot next to her and falls asleep fast with his head on her lap. Emma takes a deep breath and looks around the park with her sketchbook in hand. Her problems feel so much smaller now that she's farther from her apartment.

If running away is never the answer then why does it feel so good? She doesn't like running away, but she's accepted that her parents no longer support her and has shown that she can take care of herself. She's hasn't run away from anything without facing it first.


	5. Chapter 5

Emma has never enjoyed working with clay. It stuck to her fingers sometimes, it leaves a sticky residue that she can feel, even hours later, and, lastly, it smells weird. Even as a child she wouldn't play with clay or any silly putty. It felt and smelled weird.

But she has a job to fulfill and money doesn't grow on trees these days and she's in desperate need of money now.

All her plans are sprawled out on the floor around her, splayed side by side to show her each angle as she works with the medium figurines in her living room. Some music plays in the background, a mix between rock and classical, from her radio. The pungent smell of raw seafood hangs in the air as she plucks a roll of sushi from one of the platters on her coffee table. Etna and Agni are draped over the couch napping soundly while Alphin, her Bisharp, strikes a few poses for her while Hanari looks on.

This is her ideal atmosphere, her creative juices get flowing and she can pump out most of her work this way. The clay models before her sit in a row, each different from the next, but all of them displaying the same design on their armor of the Tree of Beginning. She is enamored with the tree, ever since she saw it she's always wanted to get a closer look.

Tour groups are allowed within a half hour of its base and not a bit closer. Of course, that doesn't deter some people from venturing out late at night, but the patrols catch them fast. It's ancient, fragile and rumored to house many different pokemon. Tourism could destroy that and rangers are dead set on keeping the ecosystem thriving there.

"Alphin lower your hand please," she murmurs pushing the corresponding arm on the model down as well.

With a grunt, the pokemon does as told and then switches sides on her, looking proud of his accomplishment. She laughs and continues her work without another glance at him to finish up the knight on her own. Hanari chuckles at Alphin and lifts a pillow with Psychic and chucks it at him. Alphin dodges it, his arm glows a light purple and he swipes it at her in a playful manner. The psychic type prepares to fight back, but one look from Emma gets them to stop.

"You two are always fighting, I'm gonna have to get a huge t-shirt for the both of you and stick you both in it!" she threatens before popping another roll into her mouth.

The look on their faces is enough to almost make her choke, she makes a note to buy a large shirt later just to bug them. But instead, she has to worry about her upcoming meeting with Ilene. She has to present these designs, not only in front of the descendant of the queen of Rota, but the entire historical team. She hopes they're good enough to work on the real deals.

The deal was to bring two designs, but she has poured her heart and soul into the first design. Taking up the castle's original design and sprucing it up to make it clean and more modern. All the shields and chest plates will be show casing these designs and she needs them to be good. That is they will be showcased if Ilene likes them.

The second one was less work, both as an attempt to have a backup in case the first is not well received but as a way of coercing them into the first one. On this design, it's the tree with a loose interpretation of the crown over it. It's simple and pretty cute if it were going to be the cover of a child's book. It's just not as elegant as the first design.

Emma finishes carving up the clay on this model to take a small break. Her Pokémon breakup to play. She moves to the kitchen table to see what needs to be done. Her orders at the shop are starting to slow down a bit, and she has been on schedule for all other orders. It's been ages since she has been so on task.

It feels good. She feels good. There's less pressure for her to work to meet her deadline. She wishes she could be like this all the time. But that seems unrealistic.

While glancing at her work, Emma's mind wanders to Riley. It's been awhile since she last saw the man. Hopefully, he's not lost in the city and has gained an understanding of its basic layout. A smile comes to her face at the thought of him. He's a good guy, funny, quiet, and knowledgeable.

The only time she has felt so at peace was when she was with her brothers. It's been far too long since she has had felt so comfortable and it was nice.

 **OoOoOoO**

Riley has never really been scared of the dark, nor has he ever been nervous about being in the dark. With his aura abilities he's always aware of what's around him regardless of visibility. So traveling around in pitch black caves with was never really a problem. But being in Camaran Palace has changed that.

He's not sure what it is, but the darkness of the library so late at night with only a few artificial lights to provide light, has him glancing over his shoulder every few minutes. All the visitors have left and only the Palace staff are left walking around tidying up or doing whatever other duties they have to attend to. He shouldn't be paranoid, he knows there's no one there.

A chill crawls up his spine, forcing him away from the book case he was perusing and out into the center of the library. His eyes dart around the area trying to find the source of his chill. When they come up on nothing, he hikes up his collar and proceeds to a different part of the library. Not that moving is going to help him much. He's been all over this library, seen every book and every nook and cranny. There's nothing here to help him discover more about the mysterious Sir Aaron.

The story of Sir Aaron was never told in his household. His parents knew of him, they just didn't understand how important he was in the history of Kanto. As a kid, Sir Aaron was just another picture in his family tree with a power that his parents barely understood.

 _Swoosh..._

A draft interrupts Riley's thoughts, jerking him from his path out of the library and into a hallway off the normal route of tours. Normally, the tour goes from the library to the dining room, using the same path he is on now. But the step he took, puts him in sight of a secret passage behind a knight and some tapestry. The thick cloth wavers with the draft that caught his attention.

He glances around himself, looking for any employees roaming the halls. When he finds no one he meanders over to the tapestry, faking interest in the knight. Leaning forward, he runs his hand along the rough cloth, feeling its hardness and ages of dust on it. A shiver runs down his spine as he moves it aside and, without disturbing the armor, presses his hand against cool wood.

Without looking around, he squeezes himself between the door and the tapestry. The faint light in the hall offers no aid in finding a door knob. He doesn't dare get out a flashlight, he could be onto something and that would give him away. Instead, he finds the sides of the door, just barely wider than his body, and brings his right hand to his waist and feels around that area.

He sucks in a break as he tugs on the metal loop, pulling it to the left as slowly as possible. The metal makes a loud grinding sound before releasing with a squeak. Sweat drips down his face as he waits a few moments before opening the door. His breath comes out in a quiet sigh before he sucks it in again and pushes the door forward.

It swings open as if he were underwater, he wipes off his face and steps into darkness. Closing his eyes, he takes a moment to gather his thoughts and allow his senses to take over. Almost immediately the room becomes illuminated in his mind's eye and he can tell that it isn't a room, but a spiral staircase. Looking down he sees that he is on the edge of the first step.

His heart drops and he leaps back in fear. His foot lands wrong and he tumbles backwards, through the door and into the armor.

The loud crash sends a few employees running down the hall, flashlights in hand and security guards right behind them. Riley, head pounding and ankle sore, sighs and drops his shoulders. He should have known this was going to happen. He was so close.

Two employees help him up, hiding their giggles behind questions on his wellbeing, letting him lean them both with his arms around their shoulders. He ignores them, his head down to hide his embarrassment, and tells the guards that he was just observing the tapestry when he lost his footing. One of the guards runs his flashlight over the tapestry to find it waving in the wind.

Riley flinches when the guard shuts the door to his answers, he knows he'll never be able to go near this door again. Hell, he'd be lucky if they let him back in the castle after this.

"You'll need to come with us," one of the guards speaks in a monotone. "The security office is on the first floor, do you think you can make it?"

"I'll have Lucario help me," Riley pulls out a pokeball after waving away the employee's help.

The dual type biped loops an arm around his trainer's back, adjusting his trainer to lean on him so that all his weight is off his right ankle before following the guards down the hall. He sits through a short screening process, his ankle pounding and head spinning. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to him while he was searching for anything. There is no way he will live this down.

Beside him, Lucario glances at his trainer before chuckling to himself as the guards explain that Riley will be banned for a few days.

"What?" Riley's head jerks up to stair the guard in the eye. "Four days?"

"Yes, going to places that are off limits is a serious offense," the guard starts, his eyes flashing down to Riley's bruised ankle. "And while you didn't make it far, we still have to punish you."

 _Translation: since you hurt yourself like an idiot, we'll let you off easy._ Riley holds back a massive eye roll and opts for a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Now, we need to have someone come get you, or we can call an ambulance to take you to the hospital. Which would you like?"

"Hospital, please."

Two hours and a foot brace later, Riley limps out of the hospital with a single crutch, head hanging low and a frown on his face. Lucario walks next to him with his shoulders back and head on alert for any obstacles. The night air is cool on Riley's face and offers little comfort for his hurt pride. He should have been more careful, it was a rookie mistake, one he shouldn't have made.

He believes he was supposed to find that secret passage way, the wind hit him just right and he'd been down that hallway many times. How could he have not noticed it before? The knight was well placed as was the tapestry now that he thinks about it. The tapestries in that hallway never lined up and he thought it was to make room for a showcase at the end of the hall, right outside the library. He never thought twice about it because he didn't have to.

So, the castle staff knew that it was there. Interesting.

"I'm not waiting four days," Riley speaks to his pokemon as they pause at the end of the street. He glances up at the sky and talks as if making a promise to his ancestor. "I will find out where that leads."

His pokemon scoffs at him, his eyebrow raising as if asking him how he was going to do that.

"I'll just need to find someone...to... Emma!" Riley suddenly remembers the first person he met here. "She'll help me. Let's go find her."

Lucario tilts his head and watches his trainer hobble away in the wrong direction. He releases a sigh before moving to pick him up and carry him the opposite way. Riley mutters about hitting his head harder than he thought while the pokemon just keeps walking.

He may have just met the girl, but he sees a reliable streak in her and with her endless access to Ilene and the castle itself, she's perfect. All he needs is a way to convince her to help him... A thought pops into his head and he pats his pokemon's shoulder and points in a different direction.

"We're gonna need to make a quick pit stop."

"Alphin, you're going to break that bowl if you keep trying to fit it over your head!" Emma shouts from across the small apartment.

The little steel type lowers the bowl, setting it on the coffee table before loping off to bug Hanari on the couch. Emma watches her pokemon play with a faint smile on her face as she rummages through her fridge. Most of her food has gone to waste, and by food she means the pudding and yogurt she bought a few days ago. Other than that, she doesn't have much beside her instant meals.

 _Knock, knock._

She jumps as the echoed sound the side of the apartment. There's a small alleyway next to her shop that leads to the unused entrance to her apartment. She didn't even know that it could be seen and found from the main sidewalk.

Hanari glances back at her wide-eyed trainer, offering her a reassuring nod, telling her to open it with her head. Emma crosses the living room to the door, her head running through possible visitors. Agni gets up from the couch and stands beside her, his tail held up and stiff, his eyes wide and some heat pouring from his mouth.

"Who is it?" Emma calls and leans her head against the door.

"It's Riley," his voice comes through with a hint of excitement.

Emma frowns, sharing a look with the equally confused Agni, before swinging the door open. "What are you-"

"Surprise!" the young man shoves a sushi platter into her hand.

"Oh," her eyes widen at the gift and her stomach growls. As much as she loves the sight of food, this is too perfect. Her eyes narrow as she regards her acquaintance. "What's the occasion?"

"Can't someone bring their friend a gift?" Riley stands up straight in the doorway.

Emma waves him inside, her gut telling her to explore more. "'Friend'? Uh huh, so what do you want?"

"Emma, you wound me," Riley starts but stops at the sight of her raised eyebrow. "Okay, I need to get into the castle."

"What happened?" she tilts her head, her eyes dropping to his ankle. She moves to pull out a chair at her small dining room table. "Sit down. Oh my lord, what did you do?"

"Nothing major," Riley brushes her off, sitting down and leaning his crutch against the table. Lucario moves to stand behind him, watching Emma as she lays out the other foods Riley bought. She moves about the dining room, setting it up for everyone to eat. Once there is food for both people and pokemon, she sits across from Riley and beckons him to explain.

He tells her about the secret passage way and his embarrassing accident that led to the hospital visit and his walk home that led to his thoughts of her. She seems thrilled to have popped up in his mind and is quick to offer her assistance, after some jokes at his expense, of course.

"Four days? That's not bad," she comments popping a roll in her mouth.

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have a family secret in the castle," he responds after taking a bite of his sandwich. "You don't find it suspicious?"

"Not really. I remember looking at the floor plans of the castle in my first meeting with the curator. There are so many secret passages in the castle and that, itself, isn't surprising," she swirls her chopsticks in soy sauce. "I might have an inkling of where that passage is and there is, at least, one other entrance that leads to that same staircase."

"Really?" the dark haired man's eyes light up.

"Yeah, I love passageways. I took so many great photos in one, actually," Emma puts the sticks down and gets up to find her camera. She runs through many of the photos before passing it to Riley. "Was it this one?"

"It was too dark for me to see," he waves off her camera. "I just know where it is."

She shrugs in return. "That's okay, I'm sure it will lead to the same place."

"So, you'll do it?"

"Sure. Just tell me what you want and I'll figure it out as I go."


End file.
